


Stratus

by SilverMyfanwy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Modern Era, Pet Names, Polyamory, Propositions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMyfanwy/pseuds/SilverMyfanwy
Summary: There were footsteps behind him and he turned to see who it was. Arthur, half dressed in jeans and a pyjama t-shirt. “You’re up early.”“I love you.” Gwaine whispered.
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86





	Stratus

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually terrible. Oh well.  
> Warning for mention of stabbing and death.

Gwaine woke up first, which was not a normal thing.

They all liked lie-ins, though Arthur pretended not to. Every so often he'd start dragging himself out of bed at some forsaken hour to got for a run for four or five days in a row, before giving up, not that anyone would call it that in front of him. He once made it to two weeks, only stopping when he come houme on the fourteenth day to find Merlin and Gwaine having breakfast in bed without him. They’d told him that they had done it every day, which was only partly a lie because they had been doing it for the past five days at that point, but they managed to justify it morally as Arthur stopped running and started staying in bed with them instead.

If he could get away with it, Gwaine was always the last out of bed, but he had to get up for work earlier than Merlin as he took significantly longer in the shower. Today, though, it was a bank holiday and the night before had been _wonderful_ , they'd been awake until past midnight and Gwaine really wished he could be fast asleep with his partners, but he was awake.

Wide awake, the kind that refuses to go away. He rolled out of bed and took Merlin's;s biggest fluffiest hoodie- which had once been Arthur’s but had been taken by Merlin- and put it on, walking slowly with his hair slowly slipping out of the ponytail he'd put it in before falling asleep.

He unlocked the back door and stepped out onto the back porch; the grass was covered in dew and cobwebs; the sky was full of red and yellow stratus clouds, thin and long. He sat on the floor and stared at they sky; the hedges were full of birds and spiders. The sounds were the most irritating at this time of day; he’d grown up in the countryside, so it didn’t bother him, but the birds did sound so annoyingly enthusiastic and energetic.

The spiders he like for no particular reason apart from the fact that Merlin and Arthur were both equally petrified of large spiders and he got to pretend that he was a knight in shining armour every time he saved them from one.

This time of day was his favourite. Nothing was asleep outside and describing it as being awake would be the wrong thing to do because _alive_ was the very best word the English language had ever come up with. And this was the very picture of it. The air was full of power and the sky was stained in greeting for them all. For him, though why he'd ever be given anything so beautiful, he had no idea. Still, there didn’t seem to be anyone else around to see it, so it had to be for him.

There were footsteps behind him and he turned to see who it was. Arthur, half dressed in jeans and a pyjama t-shirt. He looked like he’d already brushed his hair, so consequently looked like a model. Like nearly always, except for when there’d been an incident with mud or cooking, when he just looked like a model covered in food or mud. “You’re up early.”

“I love you.” Gwaine whispered. Arthur didn’t hear.

“Did you sleep badly?” Arthur asked as he sat down beside Gwaine.

Gwaine shook his head and wondered how Arthur would react if he put his head on his shoulder.

“Looks like it’s going to be a nice day.”

  
“You talk about the weather so much.” Gwaine mumbled and bit his lip. He hesitated and leaned into Arthur’s side.

“You talk about the weather a lot.”

“That’s different. I complain about the weather.”

Arthur linked his fingers with Gwaine’s. “That’s true.”

“I like the sky.” Gwaine whispered.

“Are you still drunk?” Arthur brushed his lips across Gwaine’s forehead. “You’re not normally this quiet.”

“You’re not normally this nice.”

“You know I love you, don’t you?”

Gwaine knew. Gwaine knew that Arthur loved him, though not in quite the same way as Arthur loved Merlin. In principle, it was the same. Arthur was in love with both of them; he loved Merlin like the sun went with the moon and the day with the night. Gwaine was the dusk and the dawn, the bit that stuck them all together. He was getting carried away with ridiculous metaphors now. he'd been reading too much of Gwen’s poetry.

Gwaine had never doubted that Merlin loved him, not since the first time Merlin had told him. But Arthur- he knew. In his heart of hearts, he knew. But sometimes, on the surface, he doubted it. Wondered if Arthur only said it to please Merlin.

“Yes.”

“I love you so much.” Arthur held Gwaine to his chest. “I don’t say it enough. I’m sorry for that.”

“I think I can forgive you.” Gwaine whispered hoarsely and kissed Arthur. He pulled out of his embrace and they sat side by side. “Is Merlin awake yet?”

“No.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, then there were footsteps behind them.

“Morning baby.” Arthur called out softly.

“Is Gwaine there?” Merlin asked, sounding slightly on edge.

“I’m right here, my love.” Gwaine said, twisting around to see Merlin. “Merlin, what’s wrong?”

Merlin’s eyes were red and puffy and his face was pale. “I had a dream, you were-”

“I’m right here.” Gwaine soothed, reaching his arms out to Merlin, who climbed into his lap and hugged him tightly. “I’m right here.”

Merlin clung tightly to Gwaine, head buried in the crook of his neck. Gwaine kissed his shoulder and his back. “I was scared.”

“I’m sorry you were scared.” Gwaine rocked them back and forth ever so slightly. “I’m alive, I’m here, I'm safe, I’m happy and I love you.”

Merlin muttered something that sounded like it was in Welsh.

Arthur ran a hand across Merlin’s back. “Breakfast?”

Merlin nodded and when Arthur began to walk away he looked up sharply and reached out for Arthur’s hand. “Stay? A bit longer?”

Arthur smiled and crouched down to wrap his arm around Merlin. “Of course.”

They stated there until the sun had risen and the fog had lifted. Then Merlin got up and they went to the kitchen.

“What did you dream about?” Arthur asked Merlin once they had tea in them and emotions had been leveled out.

“You died of your stab wound.” Merlin said, looking directly at Gwaine. “And we exchanged wedding vows on your deathbed in hospital.”

“Oh, my darling.” Gwaine got up from his side of the table and crouched at Merlin’s feet, taking his hands. “I’m sorry. But I didn’t die, see? I’m right here.”

“I want to get married.” Merlin said.

“Merlin-”

“It doesn’t have to be legal. I just want to say the words and have my mum and my uncle there and exchange rings and eat cake. We can change our names.” Merlin pulled Gwaine to his feet and looked at Arthur. “Please? Both of you.”

“I’ll do it if it involves cake.” Gwaine smiled the wide, rakish smile that had charmed both of them so long ago.

Arthur looked at the floor. “I have rings upstairs.”

“That answers that, then.” Gwaine said, ignoring the slight pricking of tears in his eyes. “Let’s get married.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr! I'm silvermyfanwy


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